Frozen
by Rointheta
Summary: The Doctor takes Rose to Woman Wept after the battle of Canary Wharf and losing Jackie Tyler to a parallel world.


_This is the first fic in my 2013 Advent Calendar!_  
**prompt**: "After a close call with cybermen, daleks, and losing Jackie to the parallel world, Ten takes Rose to Woman Wept."  
**prompter**: WRITTEN-IN-WONDERLAND  
**beta**: resile

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**FROZEN**

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The last time Rose stood on this exact spot–boot-clad feet sunk into snow, most of her face concealed by the woolly scarf her nan knitted her one Christmas a few years back–this universe contained a Jackie Tyler. The Powell Estate held a flat with their name on the door, and in Rose's pocket lay a key that could open it. Any time she felt the need to get away from her new life, to be little, her mum welcomed her with open arms, eager to listen, chat, and give advice to which Rose rarely paid any heed.

That day the Doctor took her here lies years in the past. Now she handles whatever their tumultuous way of life throws at her with more ease; yet, she feels the need to run back to her mum now and then to talk about the things he'll never understand. A few hours ago, however, Rose's anchor vanished into a parallel world, never to return, and now the man she loves holds all the cards, whilst she sinks deeper into the snow.

"Why–" The rest of her sentence clings to her throat and her voice dies. He stands close enough for their arms to touch, and she feels the smallest shift in how he holds himself: stiffer, yes, but a little bit more turned to her. She swallows and clears her throat. "Why did you send me away?"

He takes his time to respond. She sticks her cold hands into her equally cold pockets, listening to her steady breaths and watching them freeze.

"You know why."

"Do I?"

The silence falling over them lacks the comfortable quality it usually holds. Now it weighs down on them and, like the blanket of snow they stand upon, keeps everything frozen. On their previous visit, he told her of an event with the planet's sun that ended with the whole place turning to ice. Before them, endless, solid waves glitters in the daylight; stagnant masses that never will melt and roll. Despite the cold, something long since simmering inside her heats up past the boiling point, and she opens her mouth to let it out, but before the first word falls from her lips, he draws in a breath as if to speak, and she curls her hands into fists inside her pockets.

"It's really beautiful here."

"Yeah…" Shivering at the cold, she lifts her shoulders and burrows deeper into her collar. "Always was, though, right?"

"I thought you liked it here."

"I did."

"Ah."

She sighs. "Doctor, why did you bring me here?"

"You said… When we were here last time, you said it was so beautiful–"

"I forgot all my troubles." She let out a breathy, joyless laugh. "Yeah, well, don't think it's gonna work this time."

"I'm sorry."

"How long's it gonna be beautiful anyway? How long until it's just… Look at it. It never changes. It just stays like this. No motion on the ocean."

He chuckles. "Nice."

"Thanks." She smiles despite herself. "I wish I could see it alive, though. Moving."

"I can take you back. To before–"

"I don't wanna go back, Doctor."

"Right."

"Will it be like this forever, then?"

"Yeah."

"That's sad." Through the corner of her eye, she notices him duck his head. "Don't you reckon? Doesn't it make you feel…" She shrugs. "Isn't life about moving forward? Aren't you? You're always moving."

"I can't change it, Rose."

"Yeah, that's not true, though, is it? You choose not to."

"I shouldn't have brought you here. I'm sorry."

She takes his hand, for once finding it warmer than hers. "Don't be. Still beautiful, yeah?"

He tugs her closer and shifts them around until he stands behind her, arms wrapped around her body, chin resting on her shoulder. "You're cold. Wanna go back? I don't… I'm sorry I upset you after…"

"It's okay. I'll get over it. This is the way it has to be. I get it." She leans her head against his. "I still– Maybe it'll never change, yeah, but I still love it. Always will," she says and bites her lip, holding her breath.

A long moment passes before he opens his mouth. "Me too."

She exhales and raises her head back up, stiffening in his embrace as her mind reels with a dizzying mix of hope and disbelief. He squeezes her tighter and turns his face to her. Her eyes fall shut, and she shudders when she feels the tip of his nose against her neck brushing away her hair. His lips touch the skin right below her ear in a feather light kiss; he pulls back for a second, then presses his mouth to her jawline, and her heart races in her chest, stomach swooping. Her eyes flutter open and she admires the frozen waves laid out before them, tilting her cheek to him as she welcomes his next move.


End file.
